The main question we should ask here is; should Pardew play our youngsters to give them first team experience? Vuckic, Ferguson, Abeid and Sammy Ameobi all deserve to be given first team chances, but we all crave our FA cup run and an end to our lack of silverware.

The FA cup has always held a special place in our hearts since we reached the final in ’98 and ‘99, and lost to the champions, on both occasions. We all desperately crave another Wembley trip and we all know, that this could be our year.

So far, Brighton have had to overcome Wrexham, in the previous round, who were a potential banana skin. Wrexham worked hard at the Amex Stadium and took it to a replay at the Racecourse Ground, which Brighton nicked on penalties.

Newcastle played Blackburn at home and had to come from 1 goal down and won with a spectacular goal from Hatem Ben Arfa and an impudent chip from Jonas Gutierrez.

This year, Brighton also overcame Sunderland in the Carling Cup. Brighton will be looking to perform another scalp of another North East Premier League team. Whereas Newcastle will be needing to dig their heels in against the Championship side, who have only lost on 3 occasions at home this year.

Newcastle reach FA Cup Final. PLEASE, God ... NO!  Don’t let THAT happen, no matter what. Because the headlines that follow our defeat at Wembley (and lose, we would), would be cataclysmic.

First. There’d be the question.

“Did FA Cup run cost Newcastle a European place?”

Because a cup run will do that. We may NOT manage a European place anyway, but the cup will make damned certain we fail.

Then would come the first cracks.

“Coloccini refuses to sign new contract. Skipper will leave Magpies as free agent.”

But, stoically, the club will soldier on.  Pardew would say: “These things happen,” as he signs Fred Smithers from Southern Scunthorpe Wheeltappers Social Club AFC. “He’s a rough diamond but he’s the next John Terry.” (I know, but Pardew thinks like that!)

As next season starts, the 10 games unbeaten would become ten games without a win as the Cup run hangover sets in.  By October, Ashbert and Llambley would have had enough.

There is a new found confidence amongst both players and fans this season, that this side on their day can take on anyone and win. The trip to Fulham was the first away game in a 2012 that has seen the side win all 3 fixtures. Craven Cottage, one of the few traditional grounds remaining in the division, has been a relatively unhappy destination for us in recent years, with only 3 points from a possible 15 in the last 5 years. That victory coming from a Joey Barton penalty after a truly woeful game under the management of Sam Allardyce. This current side doesn’t have many of the negative characteristics of previous years though. They are organised, committed, and desperate to win games of football. This was reflected in the team selection.

Frenchman and Flexibility

It was a huge bonus to see Cabaye back in the side after he departed on a stretcher last week, when I first saw the tackle I feared it could be a really nasty one. Of course his departure on Sunday proved to be game changing, with the introduction of Ben Arfa who also started, and impressed once again. It was a well deserved lead at the interval, dominant in possession with 62% compared to 38% for Fulham and with 6 shots to their 1. Guthrie has looked good under Pardew and was key in the win last week. It’s probably fair to describe his strike shortly before the break as an absolute screamer. If anything I found myself a little disappointed that we were only 1-0 up.

Well it wasn’t the best game this season but Newcastle fans should be very pleased with today’s performance and most importantly the result. A combination of our own game, the Liverpool/Stoke draw and Arsenal’s defeat puts Newcastle joint 5^th. The dream of European football is certainly alive.

For me the game took a giant dip in expectations when the co-commentator was identified as Ray Wilkins, who spoilt the game with his classic clichés and over exaggerations. Newcastle seemed to mimic Ray and started poorly. QPR dominated the first 20 minutes as Newcastle were flat, the midfield couldn’t get the ball forward and our direct approach was giving QPR the ball back far too often.

Tactical Reshuffle

Both teams lined up in a standard 4-4-2 formation but QPRs midfield seemed more willing to run forward and combine with their strikers. Things seemed to get worse when Yohan Cabaye was stretchered off the pitch. I’m a massive fan of Cabaye and with no Tiote, he was more key than ever.

Since the moment he signed for Newcastle United, I’ve told anyone who will listen about the French genius that is Hatem Ben Arfa. For my money, he’s the most gifted player to have played for the club in over a decade, possessing skills right up there with Geordie legend Peter Beardsley and can help NUFC get right back into the big time.

As the 2008 winner of the France Young Player of the Year award following in the footsteps of Zidane and Henry plus caps and goals for France, he has the trophy-winning experience and clout not to be laughed out of Toon when he demands a place in the team or even suggests we can “go and get the title” if we show more confidence - he should know, he won 5 in 6 years in France.

Gabriel Obertan has been the subject of much disgusting and unmerited abuse from the fans who are supposed to get behind the team through thick and thin. It’s embarrassing that we are cheering at one of our players going off, what must the rest of the team think of us for that? They will all be thinking they’ll be next. You expect this from yobbish fans like Liverpool but not our fans, who I believe to be the best in the world. It tainted the superb victory we earned on Saturday.

The fact he was cheered off by our fans sickens me a little, he doesn’t deserve that, he is a young lad trying his best and we will see why Pardew rates him so highly if we give him a chance to show us. His cross to Ba at Stoke was a nice cross as he put it in the space behind Ba, where he was most likely to win it. It showed great understanding for the game of football. It’s not just Pardew that rates him; Coloccini, Gutierrez, Cabaye and Ba have all said he has talent so they all have a better idea than us, as they see him every day. He is a great squad player who could go on to be a first team player, so why the fans expect him to be a world-beater is beyond me.

NUFC.nu transfer news centre. Your place for all the latest and constantly updated NUFC transfer news & rumours from various sources. Check back often for all the latest transfer speculations and confirmed deals. If you heard something else, but don't see a player listed here it means that rumour and its source were too unreasonable to be included.

Players - In

Players - Out